Real Brownfields Deserve Dollars I
read with interest the story on Brownfield development dollars in the
July 20 issue. I applaud Dan Lathrop and other county commissioners who
voted “No” on the Randolph Street project...

Hopping Mad Carlin
Smith is hopping mad (“Will You Get Mad With Me?” 7-20-15). Somebody
filed a fraudulent return using his identity, and he’s not alone. The AP
estimates the government “pays more than $5 billion annually in
fraudulent tax refunds.” Well, many of us have been
hopping mad for years. This is because the number one tool Congress has
used to fix this problem has been to cut the IRS budget –by $1.2 billion
in the last 5 years...

Just Grumbling, No Solutions Mark
Pontoni’s grumblings [recent Northern Express column] tell us much
about him and virtually nothing about those he chooses to denigrate. We
do learn that Pontoni may be the perfect political candidate. He’s
arrogant, opinionated and obviously dimwitted...

A Racist Symbol I
have to respond to Gordon Lee Dean’s letter claiming that the
confederate battle flag is just a symbol of southern heritage and should
not be banned from state displays. The heritage it represents was the
treasonous effort to continue slavery by seceding from a democratic
nation unwilling to maintain such a consummate evil...

Not So Thanks I
would like to thank the individual who ran into and knocked over my
Triumph motorcycle while it was parked at Lowe’s in TC on Friday the
24th. The $3,000 worth of damage was greatly appreciated. The big dent
in the gas tank under the completely destroyed chrome badge was an
especially nice touch...

Chalice of Fire

Chalice of fireIn his convictions and his art, John T. Unger is a man of steelBy Jeffray N. KesslerAs he discusses art on the porch of his home outside of Mancelona, aroofline shadow cast by the high afternoon sun splits sculptor JohnUnger in half. The image is emblematic of a man whose talents arebringing him success on two fronts. He is an internationally renownedmetal sculptor as well as a custom website consultant.Unger greets each day scanning the horizon for the next big thing.When I wake up, he says, I first think of the things that must bedone, those that should be done and those I feel like doing.This daybreak philosophy has worked well for the 42-year-old who grewup on Torch Lake and started out as a poet and graphic designer.Youll find metal sculptures in various stages of completion and aline of large, rust-ensconced bowls at Ungers studio, workshop andhome on M66, just south of Eddy School Road outside of Mancelona.These are the Great Bowls of Fire, made from the ends of propanetanks -- the large pigs that are common at homesites throughoutNorthern Michigan.One day I was shopping in a scrap yard and saw one of these tankends cut off and I asked myself, What else could this be? How couldI *misinterpret* this in a useful manner? Thats when I got theidea, Unger recalls.

CHALICE OF FIREThe result are large bowls, the edges of which are plasma-cut intoflames, waves and other designs. There is a hole cut in the bottomfor water drainage, and they are perfect chalices for fire orfountains for gardens, decks and commercial settings.Thanks to e-commerce and the Internet, Ungers work can be found inprivate homes, restaurants and hotels around the world, with ordersfrom Ireland, England, the Caribbean and Hawaii, among other places.Originally sold in galleries, 95% of his sales are now over theInternet and out of state. Demand for the bowls is now in its fifthyear.Unger says its ironic, using a fuel storage device for a product thatencapsulates fire. There is a beautiful poetry about it. This is thekind of pattern to look for in creativity. Pattern recognition iskey. I am not looking for what things are supposed to do. Instead, Itry to figure out how to deal with constraints and make them work forme.Blogging about his work led to increased sales. I started because Ijust wanted better software and to sell my work globally. Blogginghas made me a success,That initiation led to his becoming a website designer for a time. Hehas authored coding tutorials that allow people to customize andimprove their websites with nonstandard characteristics. Like my art,this was another case of reinterpreting something I saw. I got paidrather well for being me and having fun.

PERSONAL DOUBTSUnger has paid his dues, however. His success began with collapse.In 1999, he suffered through the catastrophic cave-in of the dot.comindustry and lost his job. The year after, while removing the snowfrom his roof (a foreclosed minimart), it collapsed. I literally rode it down, he recalls. I found myself in anunheated building, in the dead of winter, in the middle of nowhere. Istarted doubting myself and I thought about quitting my art.Ironically, it was art that lead to his revival. The bank that heldthe financing on his collapsed home took an interest in his art andstruck a deal. Soon, he began buying the equipment he needed to dohis metal work. He currently is enjoying a more secure base. Thelesson, he said, is to be willing to work hard, fail and not giveup.On the horizon for Unger is the expansion of his fire bowl line toinclude diminutive bowls mounted on chalice-like bases made fromsmaller propane tanks. Hes also creating torches cut out of fireextinguishers; a new bowl made from welding two tank ends together;and artwork that utilizes metal cutouts from his bowls.

MOVING ONUnger has also explored developing a venture capital fund for artists,and envisions creating a website that would provide support for publicart.As an artist, I have always felt that an artist has to communicatesomething meaningful, Unger says. In his case, communication takesplace on his twice-weekly blog-cast Internet radio show. I have beenre-energized by this project. It is a new path of creativity, and Idlike people to learn how to do good things for themselves as artists.For years Ive been giving advice to other artists, now I am making aformal commitment, he says.The radio shows are aired at 9 p.m. eastern time athttp://www.artheroesradio.com. His Tuesday night show always includesan interview, while the Thursday night show is a call-in format.Its an opportunity to talk to the most interesting people in theworld: artists, authors, cartoonists, broadcasters, entrepreneurs...Recently, Unger attended the Texas music and media conference, Southby Southwest, where he was a panelist speaking on the topic ofMillionaire or Artist; How About Both? His presentation addressedart and business.There is a lot of snake oil out there being fed to artists. Mymessage will never be that. It will convey the hard work andsometimes difficult paths to success. There are some people whoshould not even take this path.On the heels of a severe recession, Unger sees new opportunities, justas he sees art where others see scrap iron.The landscape is shifting, he says. The new economy will no longerdepend on the big corporations and all that job dependency. Insteadit will require *independency.* Individuals with the proper skillsand courage will need to find something that people want, and know howto bring it to them. With his ability to see and communicate, John Unger is poised andwilling to support that movement.